SEC Form 4

FORM 4		UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Estimated average burden hours per response: 0.5
	Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* Mercado Kenneth M (Last) (First) (Middle) 1111 LOUISIANA (Street) HOUSTON TX 77002 (City) (State) (Zip)	2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol CENTERPOINT ENERGY INC [ CNP ]	5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) Director 10% Owner X Officer (give title below) Other (specify below) EVP
	3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 03/02/2021
	4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)	6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) X Form filed by One Reporting Person Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	03/02/2021		A		5,000(1)	A	$0.00	87,490	D
Common Stock	03/02/2021		F		1,218(2)	D	$19.57	86,272(3)	D
Common Stock								7,524	I	By Savings Plan(4)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares

Explanation of Responses:

1. Vesting of performance shares awarded in 2019 under the Issuer's Long-term Incentive Plan.

2. Shares withheld for taxes upon vesting of performance shares.

3. Total includes (i) 2,819 time-based restricted stock units ("RSUs") previously awarded under the Issuer's Long-term Incentive Plan (the "Plan") and vesting in February 2022, (ii) 7,151 RSUs previously awarded under the Plan and vesting in February 2023, and (iii) 11,439 RSUs previously awarded under the Plan and vesting in February 2024. The above awards shall vest (i) if the Reporting Person continues to be an employee of Issuer from grant date through vesting date and (ii) in the event of his disability or death. Also, the above awards shall vest on a pro-rata basis in the event of his retirement unless he satisfies various conditions for full vesting. However, for shares vesting in February 2024, any such vesting is conditioned upon positive operating income in the last full calendar year of the restricted period except in the case of death or disability.

4. Equivalent shares held in CenterPoint Energy, Inc. Savings Plan.

Remarks:

	Vincent A. Mercaldi, Attorney in Fact	03/04/2021
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
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